Indiana auction early results shooters

Hungry Hill I feel for you.......it is hard to believe you are struggling to get rid of 200" bucks........seems like we all may need to rethink what we are trying to raise for shooters.....I right now don't know the answer except that the market is definitly flooded and will be for a few years atleast. Hard to believe this happened in just a few short years but it has ...........sorry you are having such trouble moving your bucks.......good luck!!

I really don't see where the deer industry is any different than any other industry. If you have a product, you not only need to sell it, you need to sell yourself. Emails and phone calls are great, but not as good as getting in the truck and going to visit the preserves you are trying to sell to. When a person can put a face with the name and start to form a relationship, you are way better off. Shooter Buck auctions are a great idea but rarely work out. I completely understand the preserve owner wanting to deal directly with the producers on their "list". Those are the producers that have treated them well over the years, why wouldn't they deal with them first?



Since I got into the deer industry just 4-5 years ago, I have followed Sam's advice about concentrating on relationships as much as my deer. I have helped preserves with guiding, building fence, selling hunts etc. Some need a deal once in awhile or need to "pay you later". When you deal with someone and understand that the preserve owners aren't a bottomless pit of money then you get somewhere.



My best advice from a somewheat "new guy" is to get in the truck, meet people face to face, be REASONABLE on your prices, give them a few free inches once in awhile and this is a great start to a business relationship. The first time you sell you want to get paid for every last inch and get as much money as you can. Sometimes giving a good deal the first time puts more money in your pocket in the long run.



No, I do not own a preserve.

Todd,

Awesome advice!!

There is a saying...

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain

I have deer because I love deer in my life

Wooden acres said:

Wisdom , I have spent many hours wondering why we as producers are out growing (in antler size) the demend for our product . Every year I get a list of prices and things from a few preserves and they always stress the need for bucks between 140 and 180. They fully admitt they have very little demend for bucks over 200 yet we all breed for 300 . When I grew ginseng we'd wash the heck out of it and the buyers would say it was to white ..to clean ! They wanted that root to be brown not white . Soon we figured out that if we let the roots sit on the wagons for a week or two they start to wrinkle and the dirt would stick to them and when we washed the roots for drying they'd be a light brown and just what the markets wanted . Heck we got more money and the roots weighed a bit more they were basicly somewhat dirty ! My point is why do we breed for bigger uglier antlers then the hunters want to buy ? Heck it seems to me EVERYONE wants to be in the breeder and semen markets so we all over spend to create to big of a buck ..why ? Seems like we're breeding ourselves out of business some times so to speak ! Just my opinion nothing more ..

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You are so right. There are two advantages of breeding up. First, it's easier to sell does and fawns from higher scoring bucks. Second it does not cost any more to grow a four year old 250 as compared to the same 180. There is one big advantage you can always sell the 200Bc at 180 prices and I feel no ranch owner in his right mind would turn you down.

The key to all this is to purchase quality at the most resonable or afordable price. Big money does not always produce big bucks or sellable does. I have raised over 100 bucks from 200 to 301BC and have never had over $500 in any of them. I have learned how to build my own does to produce 200 and up bucks. Most of the high end does I purched in the past from some of the top producers at sales or off the farm did not produce as good as my does so I moved most of them on. I have found out buying a name does not always work and it can be expensive.

On another note what concernes me is the big gap between the top breeders and the breeders just under them. At sales they are miles and dollars apart for almost the same deer.

The deer in the Ohio sale today are bringing good money. It must have just been this sale that was bad

Does anyone know if this sale is online????

texaswhitetaildirectory.com

Thanks Reed... I had to leave yesterday but I can check it out today

Harry and Sam, you guys own and operate preserves so what you say will be watched closely.Both of you make really good points.I have seen Sams operation in action(actually stayed at the lodge while thier were out of state hunter there)-to be honest I didnt realize how much fun these huners have.They were busy businessmen who have very few days off in a year,they brought thier sons, ate like kings, had a drink at night and all hunted hard for a buck. Thay all left with smiles on thier faces and high-fiving Sam.This really changed my opinion about high fence.If these guys would have went on a wild Missouri hunt for three days they would have maybe killed one or two deer between them and if you shoot a 130" in the wild here, you better have it mounted.I know prices are down and something needs to change,but every year I see guys who want to sell thier shooters as soon as they start to shed velvet because they dont want tthe bucks fighting.Why would the ranches spend thousands of dollars and move these deer,in the heat to thier place to fight? Im not saying there isnt an oversupply of bucks Im saying I bet in Nov.-Dec. it wont be as hard to move quality shooters.The hunting bug hasnt hit me yet -uassually doesnt untill the leaves start to change and the smell of fall is in the air.If you owned a ranch would you be buying bucks right now? Darren